LESSON 20

LESSON 30

Overcoming Temptation

Part 2

MYTH #4 - "It came upon me all of a sudden."

Sin does not come upon you all of a sudden. Every sin is a process of thought. Everything we do begins with a thought. A thought meditated on long enough will eventually produce an action.

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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A thought meditated upon long enough becomes an action. An action done over and over again becomes a habit. (Psychologists say that if you do something 30 days in a row it forms a habit.) A habit will formulate a lifestyle. A lifestyle will determine your destiny.

If you want to know what your destiny is, ask yourself this question. "What am I thinking about today?"

Our thought processes set in motion our actions. Then when an opportunity arises to sin, sin will take birth. Most backslidings take place because of many little areas that lead to a big area. Rarely, will a Christian backslide because of one thing. Sin always begins by leaving a door open.

A seed must take root before it can produce fruit. Thus, thoughts must be meditated upon before sin can give birth.

MYTH #5 - "I didn't want to do it."

Jam. 1:13-14 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Every sin you do is a choice and act of your will. You sin because you want to. You choose not to take the way out that God has given you. As long as you deny the fact that you sinned because you wanted to, you will blame someone else or even God.

Gen. 3:9-12 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

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We will say, "Lord, the sin that you allowed to come to me caused me to fall." Take responsibility for your actions. You must admit it to quit it and then you can walk free.

Jam. 5:16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Adam admitted that he sinned. He just wouldn't take responsibility for it. Many of us admit our sin and cry over it, but are not willing to take responsibility for our sin. As a result, we are still bound up in that sin. When you take responsibility for your sin, it releases the power to overcome that sin.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Take responsibility right now and begin to confess your sins.

MYTH #6 - "I've already sinned this far. I might as well go all the way."

This applies when you have already begun a sinful act and the Holy Spirit is tugging on you. It is far worse to have heard the Holy Spirit in your sin and reject Him, than to hear Him in your sin and immediately repent.

Heb. 3:7-8 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.

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Notice he said TODAY. Don't grieve the Spirit of God. When conviction comes, stop there. Be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit, so that you will hear Him before you get into sin.

ALWAYS respond to the Holy Spirit.

MYTH #7 - "I'm too old, young, poor, weak, rich, white, black..."

You know the excuses.

There are no excuses. No excuse is acceptable to the Lord.

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Phil. 4:13 I can do ALL things in Him that strengtheneth me.

Rom. 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

THERE IS NO TEMPTATION THAT IS NOT COMMON TO MAN; BUT GOD HAS MADE A WAY OUT.

In Review:

1. List the seven myths of the devil that keep us bound up when temptations come.

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2. List what God has to say in the Bible to counteract the seven myths of the devil.

3. List the formulation stages of sin beginning with a thought. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. List your unrepented sins. Take responsibility for them and confess them before God.